Terms and Conditions

1. Scope

The following General Terms and Conditions contain provisions governing ticket sales for events organized by the International Filmfest Braunschweig e.V., Neue Straße 8, 38100 Braunschweig (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”), in particular the annual Braunschweig International Film Festival (BIFF). Furthermore, they govern other rights and obligations of the contracting parties that arise between event attendees across all business areas and the Association in connection with the Association’s events. Excluded from this are special events held in cooperation with the Association but for which the Association itself is not the organizer.

1. Program Changes, Start Times, Publications

The Association’s events, such as the BIFF film program and the start times of the respective film screenings, are to be found in the Association’s official publications (website, journal, leaflet, social media). The Association reserves the right to make changes to the program schedule.

2. Conclusion of Contract and Use of the Admission Ticket

2.1 General

Admission to screenings is granted only with a valid admission ticket. Before entering the association’s screenings, the customer is required to present the purchased admission ticket to the usher at the entrance to the event venue and, if necessary, provide valid identification.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at advance sales locations. During the festival, tickets for all screenings are available at the box offices (Astor Filmtheater, Universum Filmtheater) as well as online at www.filmfest-braunschweig.de. The association sets and publishes various ticket prices for its events.

The association reserves the right to exclude individual screenings from online sales and, in justified individual cases, to limit the number of tickets allocated to a single purchaser.

Tickets are intended exclusively for personal use. In particular, ticket purchasers are prohibited from:

• offer the tickets for sale on the Internet,
• to sell the tickets without the association’s express prior written consent,
• to pass on or use the tickets for advertising purposes or as a prize without the Association’s express prior written consent.

In the event of a violation, the ticket purchaser or ticket holder loses the right to attend the event without any entitlement to a refund of the ticket price or ticket fees. Anyone who unauthorizedly reproduces and/or distributes tickets may be held liable by the organizer for any resulting damages. In addition, criminal prosecution will follow in every case (obtaining services by deception, fraud, forgery of documents).

2.2 Seat Selection and Seat Reservations

An admission ticket is required for all events. This also applies to free events. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the box office. Seat reservations are not possible. For all events (except the opening and awards ceremony), seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Seats can only be guaranteed if they have been occupied by the start of the event. The association reserves the right to assign unoccupied seats once the performance begins.

Please note:
Five minutes after the start of the performance, the right to admission expires. Refunds for purchased tickets for this reason are not permitted.

If, for sold-out events, seats are still available in the auditorium five minutes after the start of the screening, late admission may be permitted. Tickets for the screening must be purchased in advance at the counter at the Astor or the Universum. There is no entitlement to late admission, and no reservations or waiting lists are available. If, for sold-out events, seats are still available in the auditorium 5 minutes after the start of the screening, late admission may be permitted. Tickets for the screening must be purchased in advance at the counter at the Astor or the Universum. There is no guarantee of late admission, and no reservations or waiting lists are available.

2.3 Ticket Sales at the Box Office

General advance ticket sales begin on October 28, 26, at the POP UP SPACE, Ziegenmarkt 7, 38100 Braunschweig, and on November 10, 26, also at the ASTOR Filmtheater, Lange Straße 60, 38100 Braunschweig, starting November 10, 26.

Screenings are assigned to various price categories, which are listed in the publications. Prices, discounts, and fees are listed in particular in the festival program, on the website, and/or on notices posted at the box office.

2.4 Special Passes: 10-Show and 5-Show Tickets, Festival Passes, and Free Ticket Vouchers

10-show and 5-show passes are available at the POP UP SPACE and the ASTOR Filmtheater (see addresses under Section 3.3 of these terms and conditions) as well as online, and are valid for designated events.

Festival passes (e.g., season tickets) are valid only for events taking place during the BIFF festival week in the specified year. Unused ticket allocations do not entitle the holder to a refund or the use of special passes in subsequent years. Festival pass holders must redeem a seat ticket for the desired event at the box office.

Upon entry to the venue, the seat ticket must be presented along with the festival pass.

Free tickets must also be exchanged for a seat ticket at the box office for the desired event and are valid without a special pass.

2.5 Accreditations

Accreditation requests will only be processed during the official application period. The deadlines are published on the BIFF website.

Submitting an application does not guarantee accreditation. The organizer reserves the right to approve or reject any application.

Persons under the age of 18 are not eligible for accreditation.

Accreditations are granted upon prior registration via the website www.filmfest-braunschweig.de and must be picked up at the festival counter during the BIFF. They are valid for designated events. Accreditation holders must pick up a seat ticket for the desired event at the box office. The seat ticket is valid only in conjunction with the accreditation. Accreditations are valid only for events listed in the official BIFF program.

For more information, visit: https://www.filmfest-braunschweig.de/branche-presse/akkreditierungen

2.6 Discounts

Discounts are granted to eligible groups upon presentation of appropriate proof at the box offices. Those eligible for discounts include high school students, college students, FSJ participants, BS-Pass holders, and retirees.

People with severe disabilities receive a free ticket for a companion (if a companion is necessary) upon presentation of the appropriate ID.

The discounts applicable to each performance can be found on our website and in our publications. The association reserves the right not to grant discounts for certain performances.

The association requires proof of eligibility for all discounted tickets prior to purchase. Eligibility must be valid on the day of the performance. The original proof of eligibility must be presented and shown upon entry without being asked. If proof cannot be provided, the difference between the discounted price and the full admission price must be paid retroactively.
Multiple discounts cannot be applied to a single ticket.

Discounts cannot be applied after the booking process has been completed.

2.7 Payment and Invoicing

Cash payments (only at Astor Filmtheater and Universum Filmtheater) and card payments are accepted at the box offices. Invoices or receipts are issued upon request and cannot be provided retroactively.

2.8 Tickets Sold Online/in the Shop

Any fees for online sales will be displayed during the booking process. All tickets purchased online must be printed in advance or presented via QR codes (e.g., on a smartphone screen).

Admission is not permitted without a ticket; the order confirmation alone is not sufficient. Please note that the provisions regarding the right of withdrawal for distance contracts do not apply (Section 312g(2)(9) of the German Civil Code (BGB)). Exchanges, returns, and cancellations of tickets are no longer possible after the online order has been submitted.

The customer can pay the purchase price online by credit card, PayPal, or Sofortüberweisung.

For payments by credit card and PayPal, the payment date corresponds to the date of the order. When using the payment service provider “PayPal,” payment processing is handled by PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg, subject to PayPal’s Terms of Service, available at PayPal. This requires, among other things, that the customer open a PayPal account or already have one.

In the event that the credit card charge is declined, the customer agrees to pay the price plus any costs incurred within 10 days of receiving the goods. These costs include, among other things, the costs resulting from the reversal of the credit card charge.

When paying via Sofortüberweisung, payment for the ordered goods can be initiated through your online banking account while you are still placing the order. After selecting the Sofortüberweisung payment method during the ordering process, you will be redirected directly to the secure payment form of Klarna Bank AB (publ), Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden. Klarna Bank AB automatically processes the payment—which is comparable to a debit card payment with a PIN—without the club having any access to the transaction details. Just as with a debit card payment, Klarna Bank AB checks your account’s available balance during an Instant Transfer and, if sufficient funds are available, transfers the amount to the association. In addition, in approximately 30 percent of cases, Klarna Bank AB’s system checks whether previous payments were processed via Sofortüberweisung to rule out systematic fraud.

To make an instant bank transfer, Klarna Bank AB requires your name, bank code, and account number, as well as the PIN and a TAN from your online banking account. Only the name, bank code, account number, payment description, amount, and date of the transfer are stored—not the account’s credit limit, balance, or past transactions.

Upon a successful transaction, the club receives only an automated, real-time confirmation from Klarna Bank AB that the transfer has been executed.

3. Ticket Refunds

Returns of tickets that have already been purchased are generally not permitted. Please note that the provisions regarding the right of withdrawal for distance contracts do not apply (Section 312g(2)(9) of the German Civil Code (BGB)). In the event of a canceled event, the cost of the tickets will be refunded at the box office. Refunds are only possible during the festival period.

4. Lost Tickets

Lost tickets will not be refunded, nor will they be reprinted at the box office.

5. Admission

A valid movie ticket serves as proof of eligibility to attend a specific film screening. Movie theaters may not be entered without a valid ticket.

The association reserves the right to verify admission eligibility at any time and, in the absence of valid admission, to deny entry to the theater or to remove the moviegoer from the screening. Visitors must therefore retain their admission ticket until the end of the screening.

Seats can only be guaranteed if they have been occupied by the start of the event.

6. Coat Check

Bringing cameras, digital cameras, video cameras, DVD players, and similar devices for recording images or sound into the auditoriums is not permitted. Recording images and sound using cell phones, tablets, or similar devices is prohibited.

Bringing weapons and other dangerous objects into the auditoriums is not permitted.

For security reasons, theater staff and association employees are authorized to search visitors’ bags and clothing before entry and upon exiting the theater, or to request that visitors disclose the contents of their bags and clothing. If a visitor refuses or prevents the search or disclosure, admission to the theater will be denied without a refund of the admission price.

7. House Rules

Visitors may be denied access to the venues if there is reason to believe that they will disrupt the performance or harass other visitors. The following are prohibited in all ticket lobbies, auditoriums, or other enclosed venues:

• sitting on the steps of the theater,
• gaining access to the projection rooms,
• the use of cell phones and similar devices,
• bringing animals (except for trained service dogs),
• distributing promotional materials of any kind, as well as posting posters without prior written permission,
• smoking and the use of e-cigarettes,
• drug use,
• willful damage or theft at all venues,
• carrying weapons of any kind.

Visitors must always follow the instructions of the staff. The staff exercise the right to enforce house rules at the various venues and are authorized to issue instructions to visitors.

In addition to these provisions, the house rules of the respective venues apply in full. These can be viewed at the corresponding venues.

8. Conduct in the Theater

Movie-goers who violate the venue’s house rules may be ejected from the screening without a refund of the ticket price following a warning from theater staff.

9. Protection of Minors

Children and adolescents are generally only permitted to attend film screenings that are appropriate for their respective ages in accordance with the Youth Protection Act (JuSchG). Excerpts from the applicable Youth Protection Act are posted at the box offices. If there is any doubt regarding the age of underage guests, the association is entitled to verify their age. Anyone who, in such a case, cannot or will not provide identification (such as a passport, ID card, student ID, etc.) will not be admitted to the screening in question and will not receive a refund of the admission price.

10. Data Protection

To the extent that personal data of ticket purchasers is collected, processed, or used by automated means as necessary for the performance of the contract, this is done in compliance with all legal provisions regarding data protection. Subsequently, the association is entitled to store customer data for the purpose of internal statistical surveys. The association is entitled to disclose the data to natural or legal persons whom the association has commissioned to handle ticket sales. The data will be treated as strictly confidential and used only to the extent described above. The association’s detailed privacy policy can be found under Privacy Policy.

11. Disclaimer of Liability by the Main Sponsor, Volkswagen Financial Services

The Association is the organizer of the Braunschweig International Film Festival and is liable for its implementation. The main sponsor is not liable to third parties for the organization and execution of the event, unless the main sponsor intentionally causes damage to such third parties.